New Beginnings
by Paunakan Jen
Summary: Bookverse — Those first couple of months in Vancouver with vampires Henry Fitzroy and Vicki Nelson must have been a bit challenging for former street kid Tony Foster. A three-parter.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Thanks to Arianstar and Desolate Butterfly for reading early versions of the story and pointing out what needs fixing and improving.

**Disclaimer:** I'm merely borrowing Tony Foster and Henry Fitzroy from Tanya Huff. No infringement intended.

**New Beginnings**

By Kate Red

Tony snapped awake. And it took him a moment to figure out where he was.

Couch.

Living room.

Henry's condo.

Vancouver.

Glancing at the television, he realized the TV show he'd been watching had been replaced by two women who were enthusiastically hyping a three-in-one throw/blanket/wrap for 29.95. He grabbed the remote and put the TV on mute. The antique clock chimed six times: Sunrise was in thirty-eight minutes.

Still no Henry.

Throwing a nervous glance at the pewter sky outside the window, Tony bounded from the couch and reached for the phone. He called the vampire's cell. Again. After a couple of rings, the voicemail message came on. Again. Tony slammed the phone back on its base. Where could Henry be? His worry-addled brain responded with graphic images: Henry lying in a gutter, helpless. In a red velvet room, nibbling on the neck of a blonde bimbo. Staked to the ground, screaming at the rising sun. Up against a wall outside a hip club, enjoying the attentions of a lantern-jawed Roots model. Held down by two men and about to be beheaded.

_Aaargh, fuck it._

He swiped the celebrity magazine from the coffee table on his way to his room. Kicked the door open, kicked the door close. Plopped face down on the bed and screamed his worry and frustration into his pillow. Tony tried to convince himself, Henry's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Not if he was captured by a mob who knew exactly how to immobilize a vampire, a tiny voice in his head responded.

Thoughts of death and mayhem had him standing up and pacing, frequently spearing the sky outside with a worried glance. Who could he call? It's not like there was a police hot line for missing vampires. Detective Sergeant Mike Cellucci? But he was in Toronto, opposite end of the country. Plus, the good sergeant only cared for one particular vampire. And it certainly wasn't Henry.

He toyed with the idea of going to Cellucci's former partner on the force for help. But Victory Nelson, newly turned Child of the Night, was as weak as a newborn kitten. She spent most of her time these days — and nights — sleeping in the condo's master bedroom. Henry explained it as her body's way of adjusting to the transformation.

Tony forced himself to stop pacing and sit down. He even managed to flip through the celebrity magazine he'd picked up in the living room. It took about 15 seconds before he felt the urge to send it flying across the room; he settled for turning the pages with a bit more force than necessary.

_Click_.

Tony's head jerked. He recognized the sound; it was the front door closing. He bounded from the bed, tossing the magazine toward the general direction of the night table. He missed, and the magazine slid to the floor, opening to a page that featured an up-and-coming young actor with his arms wrapped around a busty blonde. The lettering next to the photo identified the celebrity as Lee Nicholas. Tony's thoughts, however, were nowhere near actors, young and hot they may be. He sprinted toward the living room, afraid of what he would see.

The vampire was shrugging out of his light coat just inside the door when Tony skidded into a halt across the room. There was no sign Henry had been in a fight for his life. No sign he'd been hurt. In fact, the bastard son of Henry VIII looked as immaculately groomed and stylish as he did when he left the condo about 10 hours ago.

"Hey," a warm smile lit up Henry's face. "You're still up."

Tony nearly sagged against the wall with relief. Henry was fine. He wasn't hurt. He wasn't dying. Tony's eyes dropped to his hands and realized they were trembling. He clenched them into fists to try and still them. Then clenched them even tighter as fury surged within.

"Tony?"

The smile slipped from the vampire's face as he noticed the flush in Tony's face. The blood sang to him and he took a step forward only to be stopped by the look in his young lover's eyes. Waves of anger and hurt hit him like a punch.

"Tony? What's wrong?"

Wrong? Everything was wrong. He wanted to lash out at Henry, punish him for the emotional roller coaster he'd just put him through, but Tony found himself unable to speak. So he fell back on that most eloquent physical expression of all — a shrug.

"S'nothing." He was going for casual, but the word came out stiffly.

"Tony ..."

"Look, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." With that, he turned around, fully intent on escaping to his room. But Henry called his name again and, this time, there was Power in it, a command he had to obey. Tony tried to wipe the emotions from his face before he turned back. Henry's words told him he was unsuccessful.

"Tell me. I'll take care of it."

Tony bit his lips before a hysterical laugh came out. _He'll_ take care of it? Henry was _it_. Tony blew out a breath, trying to expel all the feelings churning inside.

"I'm fine, OK. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

With that, Tony crossed the room swiftly. But Henry was faster and Tony found his path blocked.

"Talk to me now."

"No."

"Tony ..." Henry cupped Tony's cheek as he searched the young man's face. The anger was gone. It was all hurt now. And Henry realized he preferred the fury. The pain in Tony's eyes made him want to rip somebody to shreds.

The gentleness in Henry's tone had Tony blinking to ease the sudden sting behind his eyes. In a voice that sounded like a whining child to his ears, Tony heard himself speak.

"Henry ... you forgot. I waited for you and ... you forgot."

Without waiting for a response, Tony spun around and ran out of the condo. He heard Henry call again, but this time he was able to tamp down his blood's instinctive response to the vampire's call.

He sprinted toward the stairs, taking the steps two at a time and jumping the last three steps of each floor to hasten his descent. Henry could easily follow if he wanted. But he couldn't think about that now. He just needed to get away.

So he ran.


	2. Chapter 2

9 HOURS EARLIER

Tony whistled as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed the towel from the railing. He dried his hair quickly, made a quick pass over his body before wrapping the towel around his waist. With his fingers, he combed his hair back, absently noting he needed a cut. Maybe I should change it up, he thought. Something close-cropped, something more butch. He squirted a dollop of shaving gel in his hand and created a lather. He really didn't need to shave often. Just the sparse stubble that made him look like Shaggy from the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons. He thought about slapping on some cologne, then remembered Henry didn't care much for it. Something about a vampire's oversensitive sense of smell. He had an image of himself sexily lounging on the bed while Henry stood on the farthest corner of the room pinching his nose. Nope, he didn't want to repel Henry. Especially not tonight.

He picked up his toothbrush and squirted a minty gel on it. As he looked up, he caught his reflection on the foggy mirror. He looked young and happy. Also, a bit horny. Tony tried to arrange his features into what he called his "street face" — bored, nonchalant, a bit pissed off with the world — but it didn't quite work. His eyes were just a little too bright to be described as sullen and a smile kept tugging at the corners of his lips.

Man, he was getting some alone time with Henry. Finally.

It had been two months since he'd moved with Henry and Vicki to Vancouver. Tony remembered getting excited — and a little worried, though he tried not to show it — when Henry asked if he'd like to come with them. The good part: new city, new life, new beginning. The bad part: new city, new life, new beginning. He liked his old city and old life just fine. And, with Henry's help, he already had his new beginning. He had a job, he had his own apartment — yes, it was in the basement, but it was his, and it had its own bathroom.

Tony didn't ask why Henry had asked him to come along. He knew why. Henry and Vicki needed somebody who can do the driving during the day — flying in a plane was out of the question; the risk of accidental barbecuing was too high — as well as run other errands. The two vampires needed someone they could trust in a new city. And Tony had no problem being that someone for the two individuals who'd changed his life. Least I could do, he thought.

He put the toothbrush back in the holder and padded barefoot to his room. He debated going commando, before tossing the towel on the back of a chair and grabbing a pair of boxers from the top drawer. After he put those on, he grabbed his last pair of clean jeans.

He understood Vicki was going to be Henry's priority. She'd always been his priority. The woman he's in love with and all that. Plus, of the three of them, she was the most vulnerable at the moment. The hole in her leg had healed up, but she spent most of her time either sleeping or in the catatonic slumber brought on by the sun.

Because she was too weak for the Hunt, Henry essentially fed Victory. He went out and Hunted every evening, returning only when he was flushed with the blood she needed to nourish her rapidly changing body. He never brought anyone home. Too dangerous, Tony guessed. Complicated, too. But never in the last two months did Henry ever mention they actually had an in-house food source. There was an unspoken agreement: Tony was Henry's.

Not that either Victory or Tony would have wanted that anyway. Becoming Victory's personal blood bank, however temporary, would have been too weird. For both of them.

All that dining out, however, meant Tony didn't get to see Henry all that much. Most nights Henry was closeted with Vicki for hours. Or if he went out to Hunt, Tony was asleep by the time he came back. Tony imagined it was like being in college and having two roommates; one who partied all hours of the night and slept during the day, and another who never went out at all.

Truthfully, Tony was a bit bored. His new life in Vancouver wasn't turning out to be even half as exciting as he imagined. He hasn't seen much of his new city even though Henry encouraged him to go out and explore and even gave him pocket money.

Sometimes it felt like his new life consisted of waiting for two vampires to rise from their slumber just so he'd have someone to talk to. The people in the building — a bit wary of the new tenants and more than a little curious of the arrangement involving two young men and a slightly older woman — weren't very friendly. Tony never thought he'd actually miss the junkies, hookers and petty thieves he knew back in Toronto.

Tonight, however, there's no time to be lonely. Henry had fed Vicki earlier because he was going to a meeting — something about territories, Tony didn't exactly pay attention. Then, Henry called to say the meeting ended early and he was on his way home. That had spurred Tony's mad dash to the shower.

Tony shivered. He realized he was standing like an idiot in the middle of his room half-naked with the jeans in his hands. He glanced at the small clock on the dresser. 10:07. Henry will be home soon. He pulled on the jeans, struggling a bit. _Either my ass got a big bigger or these shrunk in the wash_. Either way, he needed a new pair. _Maybe I can persuade Henry to go shopping with me tomorrow night_. The idea made him happy. He shook his head at himself. _Pathetic_. But he was smiling.

Tony snagged a light black sweater from his bed, stepped out of the bedroom, and headed to the living room to wait. He dropped onto the couch and reached for the TV remote. After clicking through several channels, he turned the TV off and tossed the remote on the coffee table. He stood up, walked around the apartment a bit, cast a glance at the antique clock — 10:32 — and crossed the room to stand in front of the massive windows.

Early in his relationship with Henry, Tony had asked the vampire why his Toronto condo featured massive windows that left him exposed to direct sunlight. He figured it made better sense if Henry had chosen, say, a basement, where there was a much smaller threat of going up in flames. Henry's response was a gentle smile. Only later did Tony realize that Henry Fitzroy, bastard son of Henry VIII and Duke of Somerset and Richmond, fancied being able to survey the city before him.

His city. His territory. His people. His responsibility.

His.

10:47. Tony heard growling and he immediately looked behind him, thinking Henry had arrived without him noticing. Nope, still alone. When the growling came again, Tony realized it was his stomach. He headed to the tiny kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. There was nothing in it except for a couple cans of soda and leftovers from the bucket of chicken Tony bought three nights ago. The problem with having vampires for roommates is that normal food doesn't quite make the grocery list.

Tony walked back to the couch, munching on a chicken leg he nuked in the microwave. He turned the TV on again, this time catching an old episode of "Highlander: The Series." Settling himself comfortably on the couch, Tony lost himself in the confrontation between Duncan Macleod and Watcher Joe Dawson.

He dozed off thinking about Immortals and the mortals they befriend.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony finally slowed to a walk after 10 blocks, clutching a painful stitch on his side. He could see the sun peeping in the horizon. Henry won't be following then. Would he have gone after me if it wasn't for the sun, Tony wondered. You told him not to, the voice inside him pointed out. Yeah, like Henry ever listens to anybody. A shiver made him realize he forgot to grab a coat when he dashed out of the condo. The black sweater and the thin shirt he wore underneath offered little warmth. He couldn't go back; how embarrassing would that be after his dramatic exit. Not that Henry would notice if Tony crawled back inside the condo. The vampire would be in his boarded-up room by now.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee stopped Tony in his tracks. He found himself standing in front of a Tim Horton's. That'll chase away the chills, he thought. And give him a chance to figure some things out. He dug his hands into a front pocket of his jeans looking for some cash and was cheered to see twenty dollars. It hadn't been that long ago when his hands would have come up empty when he pulled them out of his pocket. And it's all because of Henry, the voice inside his head whispered.

Tony stared at the bill in his hand and fought the insane urge to hurl it as far from him as possible. Instead, he glanced at the coffee shop then shoved the money back into his pocket and continued walking.

* * *

Henry knew the moment the sun relinquished its hold on him that Tony wasn't in the condo. The young man's scent permeated the air, but the only heartbeat he could hear belonged to Vicki. Worry enveloped him. Whether Tony intended it or not, Henry was getting a taste of his own medicine.

* * *

After dashing madly all over downtown Vancouver, Henry spotted Tony sitting on one of the benches that dotted Stanley Park. The Catholic-raised bastard son of Henry VIII raised his eyes to heaven and gave a quick thanks to God. He also made a mental note to find the nearest Roman Catholic church and make a substantial donation. His search hadn't been an easy one. The rain that had doused the city earlier in the day had wiped traces of Tony's scent, making it almost impossible for Henry to pick up his trail. Almost.

For a while, he considered the possibility Tony was already hitchhiking his way back to Toronto. Now that he'd found him, though, Henry wasn't quite sure what to say, where to start.

_"Henry ... you forgot. I waited for you and ... you forgot."_

The truth is, he did forget.

He did call Tony to let him know he was getting ready to go home. He had even thought, with Vicki already fed and sleeping, that maybe he and Tony could enjoy a night out, just the two them. They hadn't that in awhile. With all the arrangements that needed to be made before, during and after the move to Vancouver, they barely had enough time to say hello to each other. And Henry very much wanted to make Tony feel at home in Vancouver.

But Midnight, the mediator vampires used when they were looking for territories, had called him back inside the club that served as his office. He'd thought about calling Tony again and telling him he was going to be a bit late after all. But he'd convinced himself the talks were going to end soon and he can make up the time easily — driving fast is never a problem for a vampire who enjoyed enhanced vision. Then his former territory was tossed in the negotiating mix yet again and Henry forgot about everything but keeping Toronto open for Vicki.

* * *

Tony jolted when Henry gently dropped a jean jacket around the younger man's shoulders and sat beside him.

"It's rather chilly out here," Henry commented.

The response was a curt "thanks."

Henry sighed softly. He heard the subtext loud and clear: Fuck you.

"Tony, I'm very so—"

"I'm going back to Toronto."

Henry closed his eyes and tried to keep himself from growling "no." He had expected something like this. That's why before he stepped out of his condo to search for Tony, he'd spent an hour on the phone, calling bus stations and checking to see if anyone who fit Tony's description bought a ticket to Toronto.

He tried to keep his tone as even as possible. "Why?" Though, of course, Henry knew why. Toronto was familiar, comfortable and more than 2,000 miles from vampires who apparently don't have very good memories.

"I been thinking—" Tony began.

"_I've_ been—" Henry automatically corrected.

"Fuck, Henry! Is this really the time to fix how I talk?!" Tony looked at the vampire incredulously. Here he was, making the one of the biggest decisions of his life in as many months and the bastard was focusing on grammar.

Henry looked chagrined. He couldn't seem to do anything right.

"I'm sorry. Please, go on."

He felt Tony's eyes linger for a second or two, as if to check whether he was sincere or being patronizing. Henry carefully schooled his expression, not wanting to provoke another outburst. It took a few moments to satisfy Tony.

"OK, so I think I should go back to Toronto. You guys are all set here. Vicki is better. Well, getting better anyway, but she will be. Better, I mean, soon. And the condo is all sun-proof and everything now. Your rooms anyway. Locks are all good and strong so you don't have to worry about intruders. You don't really need me anymore. You're all set. So I should go. I should go back ... and you know, I'm just —" Tony stopped. He realized he was babbling. Somewhere between when he started talking and when he stopped his anger at Henry had turned to fear over leaving. _What the fuck am I doing? I don't want to leave. _There's nothing waiting for him back in Toronto. He doubted he'd get his job and apartment back. Here, he had two people he really cared for. People who ... don't need him anymore. _Way to go, idiot, pointing out your uselessness._

Tony waited for Henry to say something, anything. The vampire's silence made him uneasy.

Tony drew a ragged breath, hoping to calm his nerves. When he felt steadier, he repeated the one thing he knew was true. "You don't need me."

Henry heard the pain in Tony's voice, and wondered how he could erase it. Raised as a prince, the bastard son of Henry VIII is not used to explaining himself, and in his 450-plus years, Henry could count on one hand the number of times he cared enough to make the effort. This time, an explanation may not be enough. It dawned on Henry that this time, he might have to ask. To beg.

"No, I don't need you," Henry said quietly. "I don't need you to run errands for me. Or for Vicki. You're right, I don't need you to watch over us when we're asleep. We're secure enough in the condo."

Tony's shoulders sagged beneath the jean jacket. It's one thing to think you know something. It's another to have it confirmed right out for you.

Henry reached out and took Tony's chin, but the younger man wouldn't meet his gaze. "Why did you think I asked you to come to Vancouver with me?"

"You needed somebody to drive you and Vicki." Not to mention, personal blood bank, Tony thought.

Henry frowned. Had he ever given the younger man the impression he saw him only as a lackey?

Tony abruptly stood up and dug something out of his front pocket. He shoved a hand toward Henry, who warily accepted a crumpled twenty-dollar bill. "I'll pay back what I already spent."

At a loss, Henry tried to give back the money. "What? Tony, this is not ... This is ... "

Tony turned pleading eyes at him. "I'm not comfortable taking money from you. It feels to much like ... . Look, I'll pay you back somehow."

Henry merely shook his head.

Tony began pacing. "I also don't want to be the fifth wheel here." He stopped. "Or is it third wheel?" He started pacing again. His rants seemed more directed at him than at Henry. "This time, you and Vicki are together-together. No more Michael Cellucci. Buh-bye grumpy Italian cop."

"That's not quite right," Henry said softly.

"How weird is it for me to be at — what? What's not right about what I said?" Tony frowned. "What did I just say? Cellucci ain't moving to Vancouver!?"

Henry shook his head. "You said Vicki and I are together. For now."

"What do you mean? Now that she's" — Tony mimed biting and made claws with his fingers — "like you, you're going to be together forever."

Henry frowned at the image Tony presented. "Excuse me?"

"You're both immortal!" His tone didn't quite hide the "Duh!"

Still a bit disturbed by Tony's vampire impersonation, Henry just stared. After a moment or two, he finally spoke. "Remember what I asked you to tell the good detective sergeant just before we left?"

A beat before: "Something about slicing eternity?"

Henry barely managed to keep his eyes from rolling. "A year is a small slice of eternity."

Tony shrugged.

"Well, that's all I have with Vicki."

"Why?"

"All I have is a year to teach her how to be." Henry tore his gaze away, unwilling to let the younger man see his pain. "A year before the parent-child bond is forever severed, before our nature drives us apart."

Tony tried to absorb the information, but it didn't make sense to him. "But why?"

"Vampires are very territorial. We can't have other creatures like us near us, Hunting in our city. Their scent drives us to want to kill them."

Realization started to dawn. "And you knew? When you changed her ... you knew?"

Henry smiled sadly. "I couldn't let her die."

For a while, the two men sat in silence as the lights of the city made the water shimmer. Each was lost in thought, imagining a world without Vicki Nelson.

Henry broke the silence. "Tony, look at me." He let the Power rise in his voice and Tony was compelled to obey. "I could tell you that the reason I asked you to join Vicki and me here is because I wanted to offer you a fresh start. You would believe it. And it would also be true." Henry dropped his hand, and then dropped his gaze to his hands.

Henry let the Hunter ease back, until there was no hint of the Prince of Man nor of the Prince of Darkness. Until it was just Henry. Naked and vulnerable. then he looked at the young man fate, in the form of Vicki Nelson, had dropped into his life. His friend. His lover.

"But my reasons are more selfish than that. The truth is, I knew I was going to lose Vicki. But I didn't want lose you both."

"Stay. Please.

**The end**


End file.
